Love Hina: Pay It Forward
by Garrulon
Summary: Through a random act of kindness, an Australian man named Jack Kavanagh ends up running the Hinata Sou. He is calmer, confident, and much more charming than Keitaro. But without the ronin’s invincibility factor, how long will he last...?
1. Prologue

PROLOGUE

Keitaro Urashima frantically paced backwards and forwards along the bottom of the steps to the Hinata Tea House.

'Oh man, what am I gonna do?' he thought. 'Grandma Hina called me up to the Inn for some reason, but she didn't say why…I just have a feeling deep in my gut that if I go up there, something really bad will happen.'

Keitaro stopped his panicked pacings and sat down on a nearby bench. He sighed deeply.

'I wish I wasn't so indecisive. I'm such a loser…'

Keitaro sighed again and stretched out on the bench, gazing up at the clouds.

'I've failed the Tokyo U entrance exam twice now. I've never had a girlfriend. My parents are threatening to kick me out if I don't get a job…and I'm wasting my time here, visiting Granny Hina, the old bat!'

At the thought of his grandma, Keitaro jolted up again. He began pacing anew.

"If only I knew what she wanted, I wouldn't be so nervous! Arrrgh…"

As Keitaro continued pacing and mentally debating with himself, a young, slender man strolled along the path. Noticing the anguish that the youth was going through, he stopped and watched him pace.

'What's up with this kid?' the man mused. 'He's panicking like he's gotta make the biggest decision of his life. Hmm…'

The man moved over and put a hand on Keitaro's shoulder. Keitaro yelled in surprise and swung around.

"Hey, dude." said the man, smiling. "What's the problem?"

Keitaro stopped and looked at the stranger. He was about Keitaro's height, only ever-so-slightly more muscular. He had a thick mop of messy brown hair on his head, and he was wearing a plain black button-down shirt and jeans. He was smiling at Keitaro benignly.

'Why does this guy want to know? What a strange guy.' Keitaro mused. 'Well, he's about my age…maybe he can help me out!'

Keitaro spoke up. "Oh, I'm just worried about what I've got to do. You see, my grandma called me up to the inn on top of the hill-"

"Hinata Sou?" interjected the man.

"That's right." said Keitaro. "She runs the place, and she wants me to go there, but she didn't tell me what for!"

Keitaro's shoulders drooped. "And if you know my grandma, you'll know that going in unprepared can lead to a lot of trouble…especially if my Aunt Haruka was around, too."

The stranger crossed his arms and grinned devilishly. "So you're standing here, panicking, 'cause you're afraid of this old matriarch. Hmm."

"Well, it's not just that. My parents are also threatening to kick me out since they can't afford paying for my school costs. I've failed the Tokyo U entrance exam twice, and I'm in desparate need of a job…"

A frown appeared on the strangers face. He thought to himself for a few seconds as Keitaro looked on dumbly. As if reaching a decision, the man uncrossed his arms and snapped his fingers.

"Alright then!" the stranger said. "I think I can help you out. First things first…"

The stranger dug in his jeans pocket and withdrew a piece of newspaper. It advertised a job opening in an office in the inner regions of the town. Keitaro took it and studied it seriously.

"A friend of mine works there. Tell 'em I sent you and – as long as you're not totally incompetent – you should get the gig."

Keitaro stared at the man. "Um. Thank you."

The stranger waved off the compliment. "As for the rest…I'll go in your stead to Hinata Sou and see what's up. If it's something personally meant for you, I'll pass on the message. If not…well, don't worry about me. I can handle it."

"You'd…do that?" gaped Keitaro. "For a complete stranger?"

"Sure. Why not?" the stranger replied, flashing that grin again.

Keitaro babbled short protests for a few moments, until he relaxed and smiled at the stranger. He stuck the newspaper scrap in his pocket for safe keeping and beamed at the stranger.

"Alright then." Keitaro said. "Thank you very much, mister…um…"

"Kavanagh." replied the stranger. "Jack Kavanagh. So, just point me in the direction of the inn, and I can…"

"Oh! Wait!" called Keitaro. "You have to take this with you!"

Keitaro fumbled about in his pockets, seemingly looking for something. After a short while, he found what he was looking for; a slightly crumpled envelope. The ronin handed the letter to Jack.

"Here. I had to deliver this letter to Grandma Hina while I was there. I don't know what it's about either, so…watch out."

"You got it." replied Jack, taking the envelope. "I'll see you later."

With a wave of his hand, Jack turned and began his trek up the stairs to Hinata Sou. Keitaro stood and watched him go, smiling. When he was almost out of earshot, a thought occurred to Keitaro. He ran forward a few steps and shouted:

"Jack! You never answered my question! Why would you do something like this for a stranger?"

Jack turned around and flashed the grin again. He cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted:

"Look up the English phrase 'paying it forward'! You'll understand everything!"

With a chuckle, Jack turned again and disappeared up the stairs, leaving Keitaro to stand there dumbly, scratching his head.

'Pay it forward…okay, Jack.' Keitaro thought. 'I'll look it up next time I study.'

Keitaro turned and began walking back to the train station. He stuck his hands in his pockets and looked up at the sky, smiling at the warmth of the sun on his face. Things were starting to look up for the ronin.

'What a strange person…' Keitaro mused. 'I hope he does okay.'

By this time, Jack had reached the outside of the Hinata Sou. He surveyed the hotel with a faint smile on his face.

'Wow, what a nice place. I'd certainly like to live here.' he thought. 'Goddess knows I need one…maybe I can get some free lodging for awhile if this thing plays out right.'

'I mean, obviously I wouldn't want to live here rent-free!' Jack thought, correcting himself. 'It's a hotel, for goodness sake. I just mean that I could get a few nights for free until I line up a new job for myself, after being so unceremoniously fired from the last one…'

"_Yeah, yeah. We know what you meant, idiot." _said a small, reasonable part of his brain.

Jack let out a small chuckle at his self-admonishment and shook himself out of the reverie. He strolled forward and entered the lobby of the Hinata Sou.

The place was empty.

"Hmm." said Jack. "That's odd. Very empty for a hotel."

Jack cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted, "HELLO! ANYONE AROUND?"

Almost on cue, a young, dark-skinned girl with blonde hair bounced down the stairs.

"Kaolla Su is here! Who are you?" said the girl.

"Uh…Jack. Jack Kavanagh." replied Jack, watching the girl bounce with a kangaroo's agility.

"Will you play with me?" the girl shouted.

"Uh, I suppo-" Jack's reply was cut off by Kaolla jumping on him and wrapping her legs around his neck, riding him like a horse.

"Yay! A new playmate! Go, Jack Horsie, go!" yelled Kaolla gleefully.

"H-hey!" said Jack, nearly toppling over from the force of Kaolla's swinging. "I've gotta find some lady called – quit that! – Grandma Hina first!"

Kaolla swung down and stared at Jack in the face, upside down.

"She's not here!" said Kaolla. "She went on a cruise!"

"A cruise?" said Jack.

Jack's eyes became lidded and his shoulders drooped. 'Man, this is turning out to be a lot more effort than I thought it would...'

"Well, can I talk to anyone else in cha-"

Jack was cut off yet again by Kaolla swinging around his head again and planting the front of her skirt squarely in Jack's face. Jack called out in surprise, but it was muffled by the fabric and Kaolla yelling "Reverse horsie! Reverse horsie!"

At this moment, another young girl – this one with long, black hair – came down the stairs. She was wearing a schoolgirl's uniform and held a wickedly sharp sword in her hand.

"Su, what are you making so much noise about down he-"

Upon seeing Kaolla's skirt wedged securely in Jack's face, the swordswoman's face contorted in fury.

"Vile man! How dare you take advantage of a middle school student? Face your demise!"

The swordswoman drew her sword and loosed off a powerful blast of wind. Kaolla bounced off of Jack's face, leaving him to boggle at the rapidly approaching attack.

"Oh, pickleberries!" Jack shouted. His brain firing into action, Jack dived to the side, hiding behind a couch. The attack screamed past him and flew out the door.

"Do not think you can hide, scum!" screamed the swordswoman, advancing on Jack's hidden form.

"Hey, hey, hold up a second! I didn't do anything wrong! The girl jumped onto _me!" _explained Jack as fast as he could.

"Lies! Foul male lies!" growled the swordswoman, reaching Jack and raising her sword above her head.

In a rush to get away, Jack spun around onto his back and faced the incoming blade. He frantically looked up at Kaolla, who was swinging off the banisters.

"Um…what was her name…Su! Back me up here! I didn't do anything, right?" Jack shouted.

Kaolla grinned and bounced onto a couch. "He's telling the truth, Motoko! He just came to play with me!"

The swordswoman was undeterred. "You have poisoned her mind with your lies, too? You shall not be forgiven!"

The sword's descent began. Jack closed his eyes and thanked the Gods that he had had a full and happy life before this.

Just as the blade was about to meet its mark, a sharp voice rang out from the doorway.

"Motoko! Stop that!" it said. Responding, the blade stopped mere inches from Jack's face. Everyone turned in the direction of the voice – Jack more discreetly than the others.

In the doorway stood a tall, nearly middle-aged woman. A cigarette hung loosely from her lips, and she had an unreadable expression on her face.

"Do you have the letter with you, kid?" asked the older lady.

"Oh. Yeah." said Jack. He quickly pulled the letter out of his pocket and held it in the older lady's direction. "Are you the owner of the hotel?"

The woman's expression remained blank. She walked towards Jack and slowly pushed Motoko's blade away from Jack's face.

"For now. Come into the kitchen and we can all hear your explanation."

Jack nodded in agreement. Seemingly satisfied, the older lady walked off to the kitchen, followed by the swordswoman – who seemed to be almost smoking with anger – and led by a bounding Kaolla Su.

Jack looked down at the letter in his hand.

'Oh, great Tenaris.' Jack thought, wide-eyed. 'What have I gotten myself into?'

--

AN: And that is the opening scene, everyone! Hope you enjoyed it. It may not be my first long piece of prose, but it is my first fan-fic. I'll be changing the storyline rather dramatically – as you can see, Keitaro doesn't even ARRIVE at the Hinata Sou to become manager – but things will stay surprisingly similar.

And a quick disclaimer for everyone. Yes, I know this is extremely self-indulgent. Yes, I know the 'insert yourself into an anime world' thing is grossly overdone. Yes, I know.

But this idea will just NOT. GO. AWAY. So I'm doing it anyway.

Hopefully it'll be good reading for everyone else. I know this chapter flowed like water for me.

Until the next chapter!


	2. Chapter 1

First things first. Responses!

Flame Rising: Hello! How are you today?

Life Song: Thanks for the great review. While some of those points were already well-known to me (I have several friends who Mary-Sue. I know how irritating _that_ can be.), it's always good to make sure a dude has down the essentials.

I have taken your points and used them to improve this next chapter. Thanks again!

(I loved 'No Pain, No Gain', by the way.)

Rasputin: I know, I know. It's overdone. But I'm still gonna do it.

(By the way, did you know there was a 'Rasputin' movie, where Rasputin was played by Alan 'Professor Snape' Rickman? How cool is THAT.)

Halo Expert: Thanks! I hope I can continue entertaining you!

Now…the next chapter.

--

CHAPTER ONE

"HE'S GONNA BE WHAT?!!"

The gathering around the table quickly broke down into a disorganised rabble.

After Jack had explained his meeting with Keitaro, his offer to help, and his entrustment with the letter, Haruka had called the rest of the inn's residents to the kitchen and explained the situation to them. While Jack had reacted with mild surprise when he found out that Hinata Sou was not an inn, but in fact a girl's dormitory, his shock would be nothing against the uproar upon Haruka's announcement.

"He's going to be your new manager." stated Haruka. "From what he told us, it's obvious he is a good, trustworthy man…if a little odd." Jack looked up at Haruka, one eyebrow raised. She ignored it. "And if my nephew isn't up to the job…" a flash of anger passed through the older woman's eyes. "This man should be the next best thing."

Haruka picked up the letter from where it lay on the table.

"He does have the letter to prove it, after all."

Naru Narusegewa was the first to protest.

"But he's a _man, _Haruka! It's not right for a girl's dormitory to be managed by a man! And a gaijin at that!" the girl yelled.

Motoko quickly added her agreement. "That's right! We cannot allow him to live under the roof as us! What if he tries something on the younger ones?"

Motoko gestured towards Kaolla and Shinobu as she said that. Jack cast his eyes over in that direction. Kaolla was fidgeting around in her chair and Shinobu was looking at Naru with a fearful look on her face.

'Geez, what do they take me for, some kind of sexual predator?' Jack thought, a little irritably. 'They're not even thirteen, for Goddess' sake! Why would I even want to do something like that?!'

Discreetly shaking that train of thought from his head, Jack continued surveying the other residents as Motoko and Naru continued their protests. His eyes fell on Kitsune next, who was sitting back and smirking at Naru's protests as she sipped from a can of beer.

'Now that girl…freeow. She's a real cute one. I'll have to talk to her later, even if this doesn't pan out. Can't let a girl like that pass you by…even if all you get is some good conversation.'

Kistune caught him looking at her and gave him a sly wink. Jack grinned a little nervously and moved on to Motoko.

'I hate being caught out like that. Now, she is…Motoko Aoyama, right? Pretty violent girl, but…I suppose she was just trying to protect Kaolla. Can't fault that, even if she does act rashly.'

'…She's pretty cute, too.'

Lastly, Jack looked at Naru, still screaming about how awful this _man _could be in full force.

'Yeesh. And so we come to the last of this motley crew. What's wrong with this one?' Jack thought. 'She hasn't even said two words to me and she's already screaming at me like I was her worst enemy! I've known girls with issues before, but she…agh. I dunno. I shouldn't do that, judging people before I get to know them. That's not cool.'

"_You of all people can't rip on people with issues, you neurotic." _said the reasonable part of his brain again. _"Especially girls with issues? Right?"_

Realising the irony of the statement, Jack smirked to himself.

'I _have_ always liked girls with issues. Must be the masochist in me.'

Naru and Motoko's arguments looked like they were finishing up. Jack shook himself out of his reverie and started listening again. He was feeling a little snarky, so he chanced a sarcastic comment.

"So, I guess it's safe to say that you don't like me?" asked Jack.

Motoko slammed her hands on the table and glowered at Jack.

"You tried to take advantage of Kaolla, you scum!" she growled.

Jack quirked an eyebrow at that. He could take all the insults and hits in the world with grace and good humour, but once his patience ran out…

Jack pushed his chair back and stared right back at Motoko, slamming his hands on the table in the same position as the swordswoman and staring her right in their eyes. Jack's voice lowered to a hiss, their faces mere inches from each other.

"No, I did not. I told you – and Kaolla told you – that she jumped onto me. What you saw was an, unfortunately, rather suggestive looking moment. You judged me without even taking the time to gather information."

Jack leaned in closer, positively smouldering with his rare anger.

"If you're going to throw around accusations like that, at least make sure you know what you're talking about. Otherwise you look like a damn fool."

Motoko blanched at this. First this man managed to avoid her ki blast, and now he was standing up to her with anger and passion that rivalled the strongest swordsmen?

Motoko blinked quickly and regained her focus. Perhaps…she had judged too hastily. This time.

The swordswoman sat back down and crossed her arms.

"Very well, gaijin." she said grudgingly. I was in error this time and I apologise for that. But I will keep my eye on you."

Jack let out a breath, and just like that, his anger subsided. In moments, his usually calm demeanour and easy smile had returned. The man stood up straight and addressed everyone.

"Now, look. I don't know any of you, and you don't know me. You have no reason to trust me; as you've said, I'm a man, a gaijin, and a complete stranger to all of you. But if you give me a shot, then I can at least try to be a good manager to you." Jack flashed his cocky grin again. "I just might surprise you, you know."

Jack looked around the table once more. Kaolla was grinning happily at the prospect of a new playmate; Shinobu was staring at him, wide-eyed; Kitsune was observing him with a devious grin; Motoko, with a cold stare; Haruka, with her usual blank look; and Naru, with barely contained anger.

When Jack looked at Naru, their eyes met. Jack gave her a small smile. Momentarily, his eyes strayed down to her cleavage, pushing against her yellow turtleneck…

And that was enough. Naru flew up out of her chair and screamed, "Jerk! Idiot! Gaijin _asshole_!" Her fist flew forward, aiming straight for Jack's face.

Jack yelped in surprise and ducked, throwing himself backwards. Naru's punch sailed harmlessly over his head as his momentum threw him painfully into the kitchen wall.

"Mr. Kavanagh!" called Shinobu.

"Jack, you alright?" asked Haruka, looking down at him dispassionately.

Jack groaned in response. He got to his feet again, rubbing the sore spot where the chair had connected with his back.

"I'm fine. Gotta stop doin' that to myself." Jack said. He turned to Haruka. "So do I get the gig?"

Haruka appraised him one last time. She took a long drag on her cigarette and blew the smoke upwards, gazing at the ceiling.

"If you can handle all that with a smile on your face, I suppose you do." she stated. "Your room is on the second floor, opposite Kitsune's. You'll start tomorrow."

Haruka turned her head to address the rest of the room.

"That's all. Go on back to what you were doing now."

Naru got up and stalked off in a huff, quickly followed by Motoko. Kaolla bounded off, cheering about her new playmate. Shinobu stole another small glance at the new manager and rushed off, leaving Jack alone with Kitsune and Haruka.

"Looks like you're in, Jacky boy." grinned Kitsune.

"Looks like I am, at that." replied Jack.

Kitsune raised her can to the new manager in a toast. Her eyes opened slightly as a devilish expression crossed her face.

"May the Gods have mercy on your soul."

The next few days were rather difficult for Jack. Motoko and Naru kept a very close eye on him, waiting for the smallest slip-up to call him on. Jack tried to busy himself with managerial chores, but he couldn't shake the knowledge that at all times of the days he had at least one of these women keeping an eye on him, waiting for him to make a mistake. Jack's paranoia, a problem in regular situations, rose to worrying levels. Jack found himself picking up some of his old nervous habits; twirling a pen at all times, fiddling with his hair, and cracking his knuckles. Anything that kept his hands busy and his mind occupied.

After only two days, Jack had had enough. He excused himself early from lunch on the second day, stating that he needed to take a bath to wash off the smell of window cleaner.

Soon enough, Jack was easing himself into his private bath and sitting back to think.

'Goddess…this is ridiculous. These girls don't trust me at all. And for no good damn reason, too!' Jack thought. 'I need to think…'

Jack slid down into the bath, submerging himself in hot water. After a minute or so, he re-emerged, slightly more at peace.

'Ahhh…okay. Plan time.' Jack said, leaning back. 'Haruka said that it's part of my duty as manager to get to know every resident and make sure that they're happy.'

_So, do it. _said the reasonable part of his brain, piping up again. _Your prime directive, as it were, is to Make People Happy. You know that. So just go around and make these people happy._

'I guess that's as good a plan as any. I'll leave Motoko and Naru until further along…don't want to interrupt their studying or training, at any rate. I'll wait until they're not busy.'

'That just leaves…Shinobu, Kaolla, and Kitsune. Kaolla won't need much; she likes me already. In fact, I've got a sneaking suspicion she likes everyone.' A smirk crossed the man's face at his internal sarcasm. 'Still, I should find out more about her.'

'Shinobu…I guess I could help her with the next meal, and talk to her then. A nervous girl-'

_And you know from nervous, man. You're as neurotic as they come._

'Yes, yes. Thank you, brain. But she should be relatively easy as well.'

'That just leaves Kitsune. She's _very_ sexy, and the girl knows it. As quick and as cunning as the eponymous fox, too.'

_What to do, what to do…_

'Exercise caution, I guess. Get to know her.'

Jack shifted around in the bath, leaning his arms on the edge and putting his head on his arms.

'Naru…I dunno. I guess I just extend the olive branch and see what happens. Same for Motoko. Just try to _talk_ to them.'

_And if they don't like you enough to talk to you, Mister Gaijin Manager Jerk? You just gonna keep 'Paying it Forward'?_

'Yeah. I guess that's all I _can_ do. For now, anyway.'

Satisfied with his decision, Jack leant back into the bath. He hummed happily as the hot water enveloped him. After all the housework he'd done recently – and he was not the sort to do housework, usually. Desperate times and all that – his bones were aching. A hot bath did wonders. Without realising it, he began to sing.

"God give me grace, and dancing feet, and the power. To. Impress. God give me grace, and dancing feet. Let me out. Shine. The moon."

After half an hour of soaking, singing and mulling over his thoughts, Jack reluctantly pulled himself out of the bath. He dried himself off leisurely, and pulled on a new set of clothes; a black pair of jeans, a blue-and-white striped button-down shirt, and a brown jacket. With a plan and a new sense of confidence, Jack strode out of the bath to start his mission.

"Kaolla? Are you in there?" called Jack. He was standing outside of the dark-skinned girl's door, waiting for her to answer.

"I'm here, Jack! Come in and take a look at this!" the reply came.

Jack hesitantly opened the door – he'd seen the explosions from Su's inventions back in town – and entered. What greeted him caused his eyes to widen to the point of nearly popping out of their sockets.

The inside of Kaolla's room was…a lot lusher than it should have been. He'd been told by Shinobu that Kaolla's room was a jungle, but he figured it was just a metaphor…what he saw was an actual, living jungle. And in the middle of it all stood Kaolla Su, tightening a few screws on what looked like a large, mechanical turtle.

Jack composed himself as best he could and walked over to where Su was standing.

"So, what's this?" he asked, gesturing to the metal turtle. "It, uh…it looks like a giant metal turtle."

"That's because it is, Jack!" shouted Kaolla.

Jack winced. 'Doesn't this girl ever speak softly?'

"This is…the Mecha Tama!" continued Su, gesturing wildly. "It's a personal transportation solution, a fully-automated weapon and a turtle-tracker from a distance of one thousand feet!"

Jack looked up at the giant turtle-machine with a new interest. Clearly, Su was a lot smarter than she let on.

"It's very impressive, Su." Jack said. "I had no idea you were so talented. This is…amazing."

A huge smile broke across Kaolla's face. She bounded forward and hugged Jack tightly.

"Yay! Jack likes me!" she said, rubbing her cheek against his.

Jack laughed nervously, and tried to pry Kaolla off of him.

"Heh, yeah. You're great fun, Su."

At that, Su blushed a little, and jumped back off of Jack. She looked at her manager with a serious expression – or at least, as serious as Su gets – on her face.

"Su thinks Jack is great fun, too! But I don't know why Motoko and Naru are so angry with you all the time."

Jack rubbed the back of his head.

"I wish I could explain it, Su. But I don't really know either." he explained.

Suddenly, a thought struck him. Jack crouched down slightly and beckoned for Su to come closer.

"But - I think I can tell you this - I'm working on it. I'm gonna talk to everyone in the building today and tomorrow and see if I can't get everyone to be friends again. I upset things when I came here, and I want to make everything better again."

Jack looked Su straight in the eyes.

"Can I count on you helping me out, if I need it?" Jack asked.

Su looked confused for a moment. As realisation dawned, a new smile crossed Kaolla's face and she nodded emphatically.

"You can count on me!" she said.

"Good." smiled Jack. "Now I gotta go. I'll see you later."

"Bye, Jack!" called Su as her manager left her room and closed the door behind him.

Left alone, Su giggled mischievously.

"I'm going to have more playmates if Jack manages to make everyone happy! Good luck, Manager!"

With that, Su threw herself back into her Mecha-Tama, her fervour for her work stronger than ever.

Jack walked out of Su's room with a smile on his face. His plan had started with an exceptional success. He only hoped that the rest of them would be this easy…

Jack stretched languidly, pondering his next move.

'Kitsune next, I think.' he thought. 'But I gotta be on my guard. She looks like a crafty one…'

Jack's devilish grin appeared on his face again.

'Guess I gotta turn up the charm.'

With that satisfying thought on his mind, Jack turned and walked down the hallway. Unfortunately, being so absorbed in his own thoughts, he failed to notice Naru coming from the opposite direction and collided right into her.

The two of them fell down with resounding thumps.

"Oof! Sorry, Naru." said Jack, rubbing his rear. "Guess I should pay more attention to where I'm going, huh?"

The manager's apology fell on deaf ears as Naru leapt up, an expression of pure anger on her face. She had noticed which room he had just come out of.

"What were you doing in Kaolla's room, you pervert? Trying to take advantage of her or something?" Naru yelled.

"What? No!" replied Jack, horrified. He quickly got up and held his hands in front of his chest in an 'innocent!' manner. "I just needed to discuss something with her!"

"Oh, like I'd believe that! You just tried to grope me, so why should your story be worth anything?" Naru retorted.

At that comment, Jack's self-preservation promptly disappeared, replaced with confusion and a bountiful supply of sarcasm. He crossed his arms and arched one eyebrow.

"Wait, what? I did not try to _grope_ you. I just bumped into you!" Jack said incredulously. "Where in the Goddess' name did you get that sort of logic from?"

Naru growled under her breath and bunched her fist. She seemed to be ready to punch Jack through several walls. Thinking quickly, Jack moved closer to her. This was not a situation that warranted incisive comments, he decided. This was a situation that needed to be defused before this girl broke his nose.

"Look, Naru. I know you don't trust me, but I swear on my honour that I would never do anything to Kaolla. Or Shinobu, for that matter."

On a wild impulse, Jack gripped Naru by the arms; just below the shoulders. The girl gasped and a shocked expression crossed her face.

"They are my responsibility as manager, as are the rest of you. I swear, I promise, I give my word…that I would never hurt any of you or let anyone else hurt any of you."

Naru looked at Jack with a newfound sense of respect. Feeling her face warm, she quickly averted her gaze.

'He's really dedicated to this…I can tell he means every word he says. Maybe I did judge him too hastily before…'

Sensing Naru's growing discomfort, Jack released her and stepped back.

"I know it's asking a lot, but…can you give me your trust, Naru?" asked Jack.

Naru looked back at her manager. He was standing there with his arms out by his sides, displaying himself in the most vulnerable fashion possible. If she wanted to punch him now, he would not even try to block it.

Naru took a deep breath and nodded her head.

"I suppose." She replied. "For now, at least."

Relieved, a ghost of a smile appeared on Jack's face. In moments it had grown back to his usual cocky grin.

"Good." he said. "I really appreciate it. Now I gotta get back to work."

Jack walked past Naru, inadvertently brushing her shoulder. The redness reappeared on the girl's face. It went completely unnoticed by Jack.

"See you later, Naru!" the manager called back over his shoulder.

"Oh." replied Naru. "Um…bye."

For a few moments more, Naru Narusegewa stared down the hallway after her manager.

'He was so open…why did I blush so much when he spoke to me like that?' the girl thought. 'Could it be that I…'

Naru shook her head, dispelling the thought. She rushed off to her room, pushing the thoughts away, only to have them return with greater fervour.

When Jack saw her again at dinner that night, she would still be debating the point to herself. But he would never know.

Naru was, after all, a girl who knew how to keep a secret.

--

ANs: Okay, so that's the first chapter squared away! And in less than the three day buffer period, too. Who knew fanfiction was so easy to write?

So…yeah. I took the time to edit and clean up this chapter, acting upon the suggestions of the people who reviewed the Prologue. Hi, Life Song. I really liked 'No Pain, No Gain'.

Had a bit of trouble coming up with ways to refer to Kaolla. She was never the most interesting character to me, and she's not gonna play a great part in this story…but still. Gotta do my best in all aspects, right?

And if it seems like I'm going for the 'every female character in the series goes OOC and has the hots for the 'self' character' trope, well…I'm not. It might seem that way, but not. I've got a very – well, moderately – clear idea of where I'm going with all this, so please bear with me.

Also, I share Jack's sentiment. Not to judge your own preferences or anything – free world, infinitely complex exchange of ideas and beliefs and all that - but who would try to hit on twelve year old girls (aside from twelve year old boys)? That's just gross.

Anyway. Here's the first chapter. Feel free to call me on spelling mistakes, continuity errors and OOC-ness.

Enjoy!


	3. Chapter 2

LE DISCLAIMER: Love Hina is not my property, but Jacky is my character. Blarghety blargh blargh.

Okay, I'm not really one for this 'hay introduction' bit. I'll just say thanks to everyone who reads, and mega-thanks to everyone who reviews.

That said, next chapter! Woo.

--

CHAPTER TWO

Jack walked back to his room with a spring in his step. He may not have gotten Naru to like him, but at least now he could walk into the room without fearing her smacking him in the face. And wasn't that always a good thing?

Jack stopped outside his door. 'Kitsune next.' He threw his dirty clothes into a basket in his room from the doorway, then moved over to Kitsune's door and knocked on it loudly. Internally, he flinced.

'It's pretty late. Hope I'm not waking her up.'

Jack's fears were assuaged in mere seconds when Kitsune's door slid open to reveal her, still in the day's clothes, clutching a bottle of sake in her hand. She was leaning heavily against the doorframe and had a red tint over her face. She was clearly rather drunk.

"Um, hi Kistune. Not interrupting anything, am I?" asked Jack.

A wide grin spread across the fox girl's face. She chuckled merrily.

"Just the regular nightly festivities, Jacky boy. Wanna come in and have some sake?" Kistune drawled.

Before Jack could respond, Kitsune grabbed him by the lapels and pulled him into her room. Jack jumped in surprise, almost losing his footing. He stumbled into her room and had a look around.

Kistune's room was clearly decorated for the lifestyle of the slacker; bottles of various kinds lined a wall, there was a very high-tech stereo system in one corner, and an extremely comfortable-looking couch in another. A table dominated the middle of the room; it was already half-covered in bottles and glasses.

'Great Goddess.' thought Jack. 'This girl can really put it away!'

Jack looked over at Kitsune, an awed expression on his face. The fox girl grinned and patted the cushion next to her.

"C'mon, Jacky boy. Siddown and have some sake." Kitsune smirked. "Don't just stand there gawpin'."

Jack, attempting to regain his composure, strolled nonchalantly over to the couch where Kitsune was sitting and sat himself down. When Kitsune proffered a fresh bottle of sake at him, Jack shook his head.

"No thanks, Kitsune. I'm a beer man." he said.

Kitsune's eyes opened a little in delight. "A beer man? Well, why didn't ya say so?" The fox girl jumped up off the couch and snatched a six-pack of beer out of her collection. She slung it across the room at Jack, who caught it – barely.

Jack cracked open the first beer and took a long swig. It had been a while since he'd been in Australia, so his drinking had been curbed by his refusal to drink the tasteless American beer, which seemed to be all he could find. As he took another draw, he noticed with some pleasure that Kitsune had given him a 'Four-X' label beer: his drink of choice, back at home.

Jack grinned at Kitsune with delight and the beginnings of his first buzz in months. "How'd you know this was my favourite type?" he asked.

Kitsune grinned back, plonking herself back down on the couch.

"Call it an educated guess." she shot back.

The two shared a laugh, and clinked their bottles together.

"Cheers!" they smiled, and took a drink.

There was silence for a moment as both occupants of the room drank. Then Kitsune lowered the bottle from her lips, a devious look on her face.

"So what brings you to my room, Mr. Manager?" Kitsune said. "Looking for some easy fun?"

Jack looked sideways at her, quirking an eyebrow. Mentally, he practically shot out of his mind in surprise.

"Actually, I'm going around the apartments. Getting to know everybody and all that." Jack said. He angled his beer towards Kitsune with a sardonic grin on his face. "Though that _is _a tempting offer."

Kitsune leant back on the couch, stretching, making sure Jack couldn't help but notice her ample cleavage. Eyes drawn like magnets, Jack noticed. He quickly flicked his gaze away.

"So what do you wanna know about me, Jacky boy?" the fox girl asked.

Jack drained the last of his beer and sat it on the table. He leant forward, opening a second, with a thoughtful look on his face.

"Dunno, really. Just stuff." He said, staring off into space. "Where you grew up. What you do for a living. If I should watch out for you trying to put me through a wall. Cup size."

Kitsune smirked, then. 'This guy's barely reacting at all. Matching me blow for blow in the verbal stakes and hardly taking a look at the twins...guess I'm gonna have to make this interesting.'

Kitsune piped up. "Alright then, how about we make it a game? You ask a question, then I ask a question. Whoever refuses to answer a question first has to…oh, let's say…kiss Motoko."

Jack blinked. "You _do _realise she would kill whoever did that without a second thought, right?"

Kitsune merely smiled in reply. "Well?"

Jack took a long swig of beer and stared up at the ceiling, considering the options.

"Alright." Jack said. "Ladies first, though."

Kitsune smirked again.

"Okay, first question. Jack…that's an American name. Where are you from, exactly?"

"Mm, good start, if slightly inaccurate. I'm from Brisbane, Australia. I did spend a few years in a little Florida town called Caldale, though…but now I'm on this little interlude."

Jack stopped and took a swig of his second beer. He was starting to feel a pleasant lightness in his head; his nearly omnipresent headache was subsiding nicely.

"Alright, my turn." Jack said. "What's your favourite band?"

Kitsune blinked. "That's what you're going to ask me?"

"You'd be surprised how much you can tell from their taste in music."

"Alright then…" replied Kitsune, hesitantly. "Well, I've always liked Queen. But there's a new band – I think they're called the Kaiser Chiefs? – that I really like."

Jack grinned his cocky grin. "I see."

Kitsune looked at him, silently pressing for an elaboration on what he thought he had got from that, but Jack simply smiled and took another drink.

"Your turn." he mumbled through the bottle.

Kitsune crossed her arms. 'This guy is a real conundrum. From what I've seen, he's totally open about everything, if you ask him, but he still manages to keep his cards very close to his chest. How can I get around that?'

'Gotta find his switch…'

Kitsune smirked and leant forward. She stroked Jack's chest lazily. He blinked in response and looked down at the fox girl's fingers on his body. Unbidden, his own words from earlier came back into his head…

'_I gotta be on my guard. She looks like a crafty one…'_

Jack shifted up on the couch. He had almost slouched completely into a lying-down position. Kitsune smirked again at this; was she making him uncomfortable now?

'Looks like he might have some underlyin' lady issues. Better strike while the iron's hot.'

Kitsune put her head in her hand, tilted slightly, and looked at her manager.

"Okay then, Jacky boy. My next question." Kitsune said.

"Mm?" Jack said.

"You ever had sex?"

Mentally, Jack catapulted out of his seat and flew halfway across the room. In actuality, he only blinked, once, very quickly. Trying to regain his mental composure, he leant back and spread his arms out along the couch.

"Yup."

Kitsune grinned her own sly grin.

"I see." She said. "Your turn, Jackie."

Jack tried to cool down; he put down the nearly-empty bottle and rubbed his eyes. It had been an eventful day, considering his usual lazy lifestyle. He turned and looked at Kitsune, sitting next to him and smiling a very unreadable smile.

'This girl is a difficult one to get info from. But, hey; if she's gonna be so forthright about it, I guess I will too. I can get some info from that, at least.'

"Okay. Have you?" Jack asked.

"Have I what?" Kitsune replied.

"Had sex."

"…Oh." said Kitsune. A faint blush spread across her cheeks. "That's…a pretty private subject, isn't it?"

"Apparently not, judging from your last question." replied Jack. He reached over and drained the last of his bottle of beer, then set it down again. "Anyway, I want to know, now you've asked me the same thing. I'm all curious, y'know?"

Kitsune murmured an agreement and shifted awkwardly in her seat. She coughed quietly – since when did she get this modest, anyway? – and looked away from Jack.

"Um…" she hesitated.

"Gotta answer, Miss Konno. Part of the game." said Jack.

"Um…" Kitsune said. She swallowed, and spoke in a private mumble. "No."

"Ah." said Jack. He shifted in his seat too; he may have uncovered an interesting little personality trait about Miss Konno, but the tension in the room just became as thick as pea soup. Jack reached for a third bottle and cracked it open.

"So, uh…your turn." he said, laughing nervously. "What do you want to know?"

Kitsune nodded and drank in return.

'This is awkward. Better defuse. Lighter subjects, lighter subjects…'

"Okay." said Kitsune. "What was your job before you came to Japan?"

"Ahh. Nice one." Jack said. Kitsune smiled in response; was the guy already bouncing back from that bit of awkwardness? "I was a Personal Assistant to the manager – CEO, whatever - of this little publishing company called The Comic Century. We marketed a few kinda big-name comics and books; The Front Pagers, Seal of Tenaris, that sort of thing. My boss was this lady called Mandy J."

Jack smiled and leant back, recalling his former employer.

"Mad as a sack of hats, but such a sweet girl. A real pleasure to work for. Other bosses make their PA's lives hell, askin' them to get cranberry juice at 3am in the morning or some crap, but she was just stellar. She even helped with a few relationship troubles from time to time. Wonderful lady. Best boss I ever had."

Kitsune looked at Jack with interest. He was practically glowing with happiness as he talked about this woman. Was he holding a torch for her or something?

"So why'd you quit, if she was such a great boss?" Kitsune asked.

"I didn't." replied Jack. "Technically, I'm on 'extended vacation'. I told Mandy I needed some time off to clear my head, and she just let me go. Told me to come back when I was ready, and my old job would be right there waiting for me. Gods, I miss her."

"Sounds like you're really fond of her."

"Oh, I am. I love her dearly. She's such a sweetheart."

At these comments, Kitsune just stared. After a few moments of thoughtful smiling, Jack seemed to come out of his reverie, shaking his head slightly and returning fully to reality.

"Anyway. That was just meaningless reminiscing. I believe it's my turn to ask a question."

Jack took a long draught of his third beer; it hit him a little harder than the last few had, and was affecting his ability to think of good questions.

"Okay. Um. Question." said Jack. He scratched his head. "Okay. Uh…okay. I haven't seen you go out much the few days I've been here. What do you do for a living?"

Kitsune smiled at this. 'Wow, this guy is asking me what I do for work? He _really_ doesn't know me.'

"My job?" she replied. "Well, I don't really work, _per se_. But I guess you could say I'm a freelance writer."

A peculiar thing happened at this point. Jack, who was taking another sip at this point, started and nearly gagged on his beer. He put the bottle down hurriedly and spun around to face Kitsune, all in one fluid motion. A new energy had entered his eyes; instead of their usual calm, contented (almost cow-like) demeanour, he looked vibrant, passionate, full of energy; _alive._

"You're a _writer? _Oh my seven Goddesses!"

Jack sprung up off the couch and swung his arms out wide.

"This is amazing!" he said, almost laughing in incredulity. "Do you know how hard it is to find a fellow writer in this country? I've been here for months and you're the first one! What have you wrote? Have you had anything published? I might have heard of you if you've got something published, oh my God!"

Kitsune moved back a little, sweatdropping nervously.

'Where did all this energy come from? He's suddenly even more active than Su!' Kitsune thought. 'But on a lighter note, I seem to have found his switch…and up against Naru and the others, it'd be nice to have another creative type in the house. I guess I could get used to that.'

Jack plonked himself down on the couch again, still talking animatedly, listing influences, previous works, and asking Kitsune various questions about her own work. Eventually, Kitsune slowed down his enthusiastic rantings and responded to as many questions as he could ask. Their previous game was all but forgotten, with the pair seated on the couch, talking about writing and exchanging ideas. At one point, the thought crossed Jack's mind that he was going to talk to the other residents later that night, but he hurriedly pushed it away.

'That can wait until tomorrow. Gotta talk about this now.' He said, his mind lost in an delirium of inspiration and alchohol.

They briefly took a break from their discussion, hours later, to go downstairs and eat dinner. Afterwards, Jack – by this time, fairly tipsy - went back to his room momentarily to grab his own notebook and compare plots and characters with Kitsune. They would continue talking and drinking late into the night, and by the time the sun rose the next morning, their relationship would have progressed exponentially; from strangers, to friends, to partners in prose.

The fact that they ended up passing out from too much drink on the floor together would probably have something to do with it, too.

_Meanwhile, in town the next morning…_

Keitaro Urashima strode down the street towards his cram school for Tokyo U, almost bursting with happiness.

'Wow, everything really has taken a turn for the better! The job that Jack referred me to hired me on the spot, which means I could move out of my parent's house, which means I could rent an apartment right here in town!' Keitaro grinned widely. 'And that means I can concentrate on my studies, while I'm at it. It's a bit of a lonely life…but that can change, once I can get into Tokyo U.'

Upon this thought, Keitaro reached the building that contained his cram school. He entered, whistling happily, and made his way to the auditorium where his lectures were given. Through sheer coincidence, he ran into two of his friends, Shirai and Haitani, just outside the door, and the trio went into the room, talking together happily.

"Man, we haven't seen you in ages!" said Haitani. "Where have you been the last few weeks?"

"Well…" said Keitaro, rubbing the back of his head. "It's a long story."

"That's alright." smiled Shirai. "Just summarise it for us. We've only got a few minutes until the lecturer shows up, you know?"

Keitaro laughed at Shirai's comment and settled into his seat. As quickly and succinctly as he could, Keitaro related everything that had happened to him; his parent's ultimatum, his grandma's call to the inn, the strange stranger who had helped him out, and his resulting streak of good fortune.

Once he had finished, he sat back and looked properly at his friends. Both of their faces were dumb with surprise.

"Wow, Keitaro. That's really something." Haitani said. "But weren't you suspicious of why that Jack guy was being so charitable?"

"Well, yeah, to be honest." replied Keitaro. "But at that point, I was pretty desperate for any sort of help. I guess he just came along at the right time."

Shirai spoke up in confusion. "I've been thinking about that guy's parting comment…what the heck _does _'pay it forward' mean, anyway?"

Keitaro blinked in surprise. "You know, I don't know. With everything that happened, I never took the time to check it out."

"Well, today is pretty lucky for you, then." grinned Haitani, holding up a book. "We're focusing on English, and there's a section in here about common phrases. You can look it up!"

Keitaro nodded his agreement, and the three simultaneously opened their books, searching curiously for the meaning of the phrase.

"Pay it forward…ah, here it is." said Keitaro. "Refers to repaying the good deeds one has received by doing good things for other unrelated people. Huh."

_Author's side note: Hooray for Wikipedia!_

"I guess that makes sense." wondered Shirai. "The guy had had some good things happen to him, so he was repaying it by helping you out…"

"Just because." finished Haitani. "That's a good philosophy."

Keitaro stared to vocalise his agreement, but at that moment his eye was caught by a girl, sitting a few rows along from the three, that he had never noticed before. She wore big, thick coke-bottle glasses, pigtails, and a baggy orange sweater with the word 'SALEM' on the front. Despite the fact that the lecturer had not come in yet, she already had her face buried in her textbook, studying with fervour. But what struck Keitaro more than that was…

'…Lonely.' He thought. 'She looks really lonely.'

"Hey, guys." Keitaro said to Shirai and Haitani, not taking his eye off the girl. "Who's that girl over there?"

The two bent over the desk to get a proper look. After studying her for a few moments, they sat back down.

"I dunno." said Haitani. "She's always been here, but she mostly keeps to herself. I don't think she's talked to a single person the whole time she has been here."

'Hmm.' Keitaro thought. 'Pay it forward, huh…I guess I should. From that one good deed, I got so much good fortune. It'd only be right to pay it back somehow.'

Impulsively, Keitaro swallowed his nervousness and anxiety and got up. He grabbed his books and walked over to the girl, who was still engrossed his book. When he reached the seat next to her, he coughed nervously. Shaken out of her trance, the girl looked up at Keitaro blankly.

"Hello? Can I help you?" she asked.

"Um, hi." said Keitaro, nervously. "I was just noticing that you're always here on your own, and I thought that…er…" he was faltering fast. "That you might, uh…like someone to talk to or something?"

The girl quirked an eyebrow at him. 'What is this guy's deal?' she thought. 'He just comes over and asks that?'

Keitaro shifted nervously from foot to foot, his confidence draining fast.

"Um, never mind. I'm sure you want to get back to your studying, I'll go…' he said. He turned around and began his retreat.

'No, stop.' said the girl. Keitaro turned around and looked; she was smiling, amused. 'I guess it'd be nice to have someone to study with, here.'

'Oh, um. Okay.' Keitaro came back and sat down next to her.

'I'm Naru Narusegawa.' said the girl.

'Uhm, I'm…Keitaro Urashima. It's nice to meet you.' Keitaro replied. The two shook hands.

'You too.' replied Naru. 'So can I ask why you came over here so suddenly? It's a bit odd…'

The lecturer came into the room, then, and all of the chattering died down immediately. Naru and Keitaro quickly turned to the front and opened their books. For a moment, Keitaro leant over and murmured in her ear, a pleased grin creeping across his face.

"Just paying it forward." he said.

Naru suppressed a smile. The lesson began and the both of their attentions were fully focused forward…although Naru could swear she saw Keitaro glance at her from time to time.

--

And that's that done! I'm a bit concerned about how Kitsune (and Naru, to a lesser extent) may have slipped out of character for a bit, but…eh. It's not gonna keep me up at night. As fun as this is, I _do _have more pressing issues. Some bits irk me, but if there's one thing I totally hate, it is the tedious editing process.

…Which really doesn't bode well for a writing career, does it?

Anyway, I hope you enjoy reading it! Insert typical begging for feedback here. Seriously, you guys know the drill.


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